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BG Takes A Ribbon

BG (Bohlender-Graebener) of Carson City, Nev., went to the CEDIA Expo, held here, with a $10,000/pair 89-inch-tall in-wall speaker, the Radia R-800.

The speaker uses an upgraded version of ribbon technology to boost sensitivity to 93dB (1 watt/1 meter) from previous models' 90dB and extend bass response to 150Hz from 400Hz. Active cone woofers extend the speakers' response to 20Hz.

Also in the Radia series, BG launched a matching R-400C ribbon in-wall center channel, which doesn't use the new ribbon technology, and a powered in-wall subwoofer system.

Ribbon speakers are “faithful and accurate,” a spokesman said, but they were bobbled by their inability to play loud and low, and they were “fragile” because people tended to crank them up to play them loud. BG's Neo 10 ribbon technology overcomes these limitations by using Dupont's Teonex-branded film in each speaker's 16 tweeters and six midranges. Aluminum conductors are etched onto the film. The mid- and high-range drivers in each speaker are complemented by two 8-inch active woofers,

The matching center channel is the R-400C at a suggested $2000. The Radia R-88 in-wall sub is sold with companion BGA-2500 1000-watt amplifier and retails for a combined suggested $3,000. The amp also drives a second optional R-88 subwoofer sold separately at $1,000 each.